The present invention relates to a steering shaft bearing unit for the rotatable support of a steering shaft of a steering column for a motor vehicle. The steering shaft bearing unit comprises a jacket metal sheet which comprises at least one circumferentially closed region for receiving at least one bearing for the rotatable support of the steering shaft and at least one securement region for securing in position the steering shaft bearing unit on a bracket part of the steering column.
The invention further relates also to a steering column comprising such a steering shaft bearing unit as well as several methods for the production of the steering shaft bearing unit.
EP 1 535 824 B1, EP 1 547 902 A1, EP 1 553 002 B1, U.S. Pat. No. 7,350,813 B2 and JP 10-7003 disclose generic steering shaft bearing units, all of which have in common that the steering shaft bearing unit is widened in the securement region in order to provide suitable securement areas for securing in position the steering shaft bearing unit on a bracket part and therewith on a motor vehicle body. The widening of the jacket metal sheet in the securement region entails two significant disadvantages. For one, the widening leads to a thinning-out and therewith to a weakening of the jacket metal sheet in this region. For another, the process of widening the jacket metal sheet is tied to increased technical expenditures.